Twins overcome great obstacles to attend UNC

Natali Gutierrez, right, and Yanet Gutierrez, sit out front of their dorm during mov- in-day Thursday morning at the University of Northern Colorado campus. Yanet and Natalie were born in the United States, but their family returned to Mexico when the girls were young. The girls were 15 when they first moved to Colorado; they learned English and eventually graduated in the top of the class at Northridge High School.

Natali Gutierrez, right, and Yanet Gutierrez, unpack some of their cloths at their new dorm room in Brown Hall on Thursday on the University of Northern Colorado Campus. Yanet and Natali will be starting as freshmen at UNC this year, both will be majoring communications and minoring in Spainish.

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On first impression, it’s hard to believe Natali and Yanet Gutierrez have self-confidence problems.

The 18-year-olds are living the American dream, and they both graduated from Northridge High School in May in the top 15 of their class — with 4.0 and 3.9 grade-point-averages, respectively.

They both have jobs, and they both are preparing to start classes today at the University of Northern Colorado.

Then they tell their story, and it becomes clear there were multiple obstacles in their lives that would cause many to give up.

They moved to Greeley at 15. They came alone. They spoke no English. They lived on their own. They sent any money they had left from full-time jobs at Wendy’s to their family in Mexico. They suffered from depression.

Those are just the biggies.

They were sophomores in high school when they moved in with an aunt who lived in Greeley. Their father could not afford high school in Mexico where he worked in the fields, but the twins were determined to be the first in their family to graduate.

Because they were born in Texas, they were U.S. citizens, so getting here was the least of their battles.

However, their family moved back to Mexico shortly after their birth, so they never learned English. They spent much of their first year in intensive English acquisition classes and the newcomers program at Greeley Central High School.

It paid off; they have nearly mastered it in just three years, even after returning from a three-month trip to Mexico by just two days.

“Mrs. (Jessica) Cooney was great,” Yanet said about the teacher who heads up the program for students new to the United States. “She always pushed us. When we would get lazy and talk in Spanish, she would tell us, ‘Start speaking English, because you know you have to.’ ”

They got jobs at Wendy’s — one on 8th Avenue and one on 10th Street — to help their aunt financially, but there were other issues in her home.

“We were so scared,” Natali said about a decision to move out. “We ...”

“We were so depressed and stressed out,” Yanet said, as she completed her sister’s sentence like they do to each other frequently.

They were just 16.

One of the few friends they had suggested they call North Range Behavioral Health for help, and while getting them the emotional support they needed, counselors also connected them to Francis Garcia, the Transitions to Independence Program facilitator.

TIP is a program that helps youth and young adults between 14 and 29 plan their future, find their strengths and interests, finish their education, develop self-sufficiency and learn healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors. It is designed to help mental-health patients develop independence and self-confidence.

She helped the girls receive an unaccompanied youth designation, so they could make their own decisions about their education and lives.

The girls moved into a basement apartment and worked 35-40 hours each week to pay their own bills. They continued to send whatever they had left to their parents, 15-year-old sister and 11-year-old twin brothers in Mexico.

“We would do our homework until two in the morning if we had to,” Yanet said.

Garcia said their determination is like nothing she has ever seen.

“They were depressed and alone,” she said. “They were so overwhelmed, but they wanted an education, they just didn’t know how. It was amazing that they recognized it themselves. It speaks to their sense of self-awareness.”

Their hard work paid off. The two both have enough in scholarships to pay the costs of their college expenses, including room and board, something that — despite being proud — shocks their family.

“College seemed so impossible,” Yanet said. “We were so worried about money.”

“If we didn’t have the financial aid, it was going to be like when we finished middle school and couldn’t keep going,” Natali continued.

“You shouldn’t have to stop studying because of money,” Yanet completed the sentence again. “Everyone is always, ‘Are you really going to study college? Really?’ They just can’t believe someone from our family is studying college.”

The girls are very close to their family. They return to Mexico every summer to visit. And this past year they funded a quinceañera for their 15-year-old sister.

“We didn’t get one because our father couldn’t afford it,” Natali said. “We understand, but it was the one thing we missed from our culture that we didn’t want our sister to miss, so we saved up so she could have one while we were home.”

Returning to Greeley is always hard for them, but they leave their family behind in tears because they know long-term it will be better for everyone. In fact, when asked if they were relieved that they didn’t have the cost of rent and utilities anymore, they said, “yes,” but not for the new clothes or a car that most college students would sock it away for.

“We get to send our family more money,” they said in unison.

“We really want to bring our family here,” Yanet added. “So we can all be together. But they don’t have papers, so we’ll start working on that.”

The girls will study communications and Spanish on their way to become teachers. But they made one thing clear from their new home at Brown Hall, where they are members of Cumbres, a program that helps prepare Latino students for a challenging curriculum and support them along the way.

“School was always important to us,” Natali said. “When our grades started to suffer we were really scared.”

“TIP was a great help for us,” Yanet continued. “They helped us meet more Latino people like us. It made us more comfortable. It helped us get over all the obstacles in the way.”

This time, Natali finished their thought:

“It made us want to help others like us.”

Sherrie Peif covers education for The Tribune. If you have an idea for a feature, contact Sherrie at (970) 392-5632, by email at speif@greeleytribune.com. Follow her on twitter @dawgsmom4.